


Pretty Little Thing

by Anime_Warlord



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Abusive Grisha Yeager, Aggression, Alpha Erwin Smith, Alpha Grisha Yeager, Alpha Hange Zoë, Alpha Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin), Alpha Mikasa Ackerman, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Asshole Grisha Yeager, Basically everyone else is a beta, Beta Jean Kirstein, Character's Name Spelled as Hanji, Eventual Smut, F/M, Feral Behavior, Feral Eren Yeager, Fluff, Grisha Yeager's Bad Parenting, Grisha is only there for like the first chapter, Hanji and Erwin are roommates, It sounds bad but it's only barely mentioned, M/M, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Mikasa and Armin are mates but that isn't relevant, Neko Eren Yeager, Nonbinary Hange Zoë, Nonverbal Communication, Omega Armin Arlert, Omega Eren Yeager, Omegas are rare, Other, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Past Abuse, Past Torture, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-08
Updated: 2020-03-29
Packaged: 2020-09-19 07:35:40
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,420
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20327461
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Anime_Warlord/pseuds/Anime_Warlord
Summary: When Hanji becomes the director of a lab currently run by one Grisha Jaeger, they find something they never could have imagined.An omega locked in a cage, growling and hiding rather than begging for help. An omega that was none other than Doctor Jaeger's own son. Throwing caution to the wind, Hanji takes him with no regard to what their roommate will say when he finds out.But that isn't their only problem. How do they handle an omega that's terrified of alphas, that barely understands English? How do they tame the boy who attacks at the slightest movement? And what if they can't?





	1. The Lab

**Author's Note:**

> *Please read all the tags :)
> 
> Just a couple things to note:
> 
> •Omegas are rare.  
•Omegas are nekos, but alphas and betas are human.  
•Omegas have generally bad attitudes. They aren't the delicate kind, but rather they're generally quite sassy and picky when choosing their mates. They don't let alphas push them around and they get very demanding around the time of a heat.  
•They have claws and they are very quick like cats.  
•Betas are scared of them.  
•Eren relies on instinct more than anything.
> 
> ANYWAY it seems sad but after the first chapter this is a really light hearted and chaotic story about Eren learning to act human and Erwin falling hopelessly in love with the Wild Child™️

> _"It's a wonderful experiment, Doctor Zoe! I've made so much progress in my research! You must come visit the lab right away and see for yourself!"_

Dr. Grisha Jaeger had sounded so excited about the new project he was working on, of course Hanji made in their first priority to go straight to the lab they now ran. After their promotion, they were excited to check out the facility regardless, but Grisha's vague explanation of his project made them all the more interested. So, they left their current office and rushed over immediately. When they arrived, parked haphazardly in the nearest stall, they hurried on inside and looked around. The halls were pristine and sparkling. "Nice to see he keeps everything ship-shape," they muttered cheerfully. They poked their head into each room they passed, hoping to find Grisha in one of them. No luck.

Then they came to a door that was locked. "Strange..." None of the other doors had been locked. Maybe this was Grisha's oh-so-special experiment! They figured it would be best to wait for the doctor to show up, but... there was a strange noise that they couldn't quite make out coming from inside the room. Curiosity got the better of them, and they quickly punched in the override code, letting themself in.

They expected to find lab rats scratching at bedding, or a machine that wasn't quite running smoothly, or something _normal_. What actually lay behind that door, they never could have prepared for. Before they could even scan the room, they were immediately hit with the stench of distress. An _omega's _distress. It was so thick in the air, it was practically suffocating. Then they saw it: a large cage in the farthest corner of the room, with a boy inside. On all fours, pacing back and forth, pausing occasionally to scratch at a corner of the bare enclosure.

Hanji felt as if they were going to be sick. They approached the cage carefully, not wanting to scare the poor omega. "Hey... Are you alright? I'm not going to hurt you, don't worry.." they murmured gently, crouching in front of the cage. The omega snarled, immediately taking a swipe at them through the bars. Luckily he missed, but the fact that he was defensive and growling rather than begging for help made them wonder just how long he had been here.

They were sure not to make eye contact with the omega, not wanting him to feel threatened or challenged. Instead, they examined his body. He was skinny, not entirely starving but definitely not a healthy weight either. His ears were pinned back, tail flicking defensively as he retreated into the farthest corner of the cage. There were telltale bruises littering his arms and legs, as well as track marks and bandaids. This omega was being tested on. Hanji squared their jaw, taking a deep breath through their nose. "Don't you worry. I'm gonna get you out of here." They stood up and keyed in the override code on the digital padlock, tossing it to the side before they pulled the heavy metal door open.

Before they could even kneel back down to attempt helping the frightened neko, the lab door swung open behind them.

"What on earth are you doing!?" It was Doctor Grisha Jaeger. The very scientist Hanji had been trying to find. He rushed to the cage and slammed the door shut. "That right there is a mighty fine way of getting yourself attacked, Dr. Zoe. He's practically feral."

Hanji turned to Grisha with hands on their hips. "What are you on about? Why is this poor creature locked up, completely naked, in a cage!? I demand to know the meaning of this!"

"Why, this _creature_ is the experiment I told you about over the phone."

The way he said it so casually made Hanji sick to their stomach. Before they could question it, the other scientist continued on.

"I've been using him to further my research into omegan sciences. Finding out about their genetic code, discovering what kind of drugs make for better suppressants. Things like that," Dr. Jaeger explained. "It's all very important research. I've made quite amazing progress. You should really ta-"

"No," Hanji cut him off. "I've heard quite enough. I'm shutting this down."

Grisha's jaw dropped. It would have been comical if they weren't in such a serious situation. "What? You can't! This is years worth of research!"

The omega in the cage was still growling. When Grisha raised his voice, he backed into a corner, tail flicking back and forth anxiously behind him.

Hanji cooed in an attempt to calm him, but it didn't seem to help. They turned their attention back to Grisha. "Actually, doctor, I can and I will. I run this facility now. Effective immediately, I will be removing this omega from your care and shutting down the program. He probably has friends, family that are looking for him!"

"He doesn't. I am his only family. Eren here is my son."

The wild haired brunette felt as if they were going to throw up. They had heard about Grisha having a son, but to think it was the very caged omega before him... It was absolutely vile. "Grisha Jaeger," they started. They could feel themselves getting angrier by the moment, but they controlled their temper. For Eren's sake. "You are unfit to work in my lab. You are unfit to be a parent, and you are unfit to be around any omega. I'm taking Eren. Now. Try to stop me, and I will call the police."

Clenching his fists, Grisha growled low in the back of his throat and approached Hanji.

As they glared each other down, both alphas refusing to give in, the omega seemed to grow more and more distressed. No longer was he simply growling and backing away. Instead, he was frantically trying to escape from the other side of the cage. 

The ruckus was just enough distraction to cause Hanji to look away. Grisha took the opportunity and shoved them. "I won't let you take him!"

Doctor Zoe was hardly phased. They grabbed Grisha harshly by his shirt collar and got right up in his personal space. "Whether you let me or not, I will be taking this poor boy from your care," they growled dangerously low, releasing the other alpha with a shove before they turned and keyed in the access code to the cage again.

"But- think about it! He's obviously not fit to be out in society. He would be a danger to everyone he comes into contact with!" Doctor Jaeger attempted to reason it out, convince Hanji not to take Eren.

They regarded him coldly. "I wonder what could have made him that way."

Angrily gritting his teeth, Grisha turning sharply on his heel and stormed out of the room. He knew he couldn't actually stop Hanji. What he was doing was highly illegal.

With the other alpha gone, the brunette calmed themselves and knelt down in front of the cage door. "Hey... I won't hurt you. Can you understand me? I'm going to get you out of here. Nod twice if you understand."

Eren growled, pawing at the thin blanket at the bottom of his cage. He sniffed at the air and cocked his head to the side, staring at the alpha suspiciously.

After a moment, Hanji tried again, slower this time. "You're safe now, honey. Do you know what I'm saying? Nod for yes."

Again, the omega only stared, grunting softly and backing himself further into the corner. Gears started turning in his head as his ears twitched to the sound of Hanji's voice. Finally, he slowly and hesitantly bobbed his head up and down in a jerky motion.

"There we go." Hanji smiled. It would be a problem if Eren couldn't understand them at all. But, since he seemed to at least kind of understand, they could move things along more smoothly. First things first: getting the boy to trust them. "I won't hurt you, I promise." Slowly, wary of sharp teeth and swift claws, they extended their hand. Enough for Eren to come close and investigate if he so chose, but not enough to make him feel cornered.

Bright aventurine green eyes, filled with distrust, scrutinized the hand in front of them. Eren lifted his head ever so slightly, scenting the air around him.

Hanji was patient, holding their outstretched hand as still as possible. It would be bad, for both themself and Eren, if he were to become startled and/or aggressive.

Slowly, ever so slowly, the omega inched closer, barely enough to get a good grip of the stranger's scent. He sniffed at their hand, ever so cautious. After the years of harsh treatment he had received from his very own alpha father, he could never be too suspicious. There was no guarantee that Hanji truly meant well. He had been lied to plenty of times before.

The closer he got, the bolder he grew, until eventually, he was reaching out to carefully touhc the hand just inches from his face. Hanji still hadn't moved, afraid of losing the progress they were making.

It was nice to see that Eren trusted them enough to initiate touch. It wasn't much, though. Just a light brush of fingers against fingers and then his hand had retreated back to the floor in order to support his animal-esque position. After a moment, the brunet moved on from Hanji's hand, sniffing slowly up their arm and inching closer all the while.

With bated breath, the alpha waited. Waited for the near-feral omega to initiate another touch, waited for him to trust them - at least, enough for them to get the poor thing out of the lab.

Eren lifted his gaze from Hanji's face, looking into their eyes. Although they quickly avoided eye contact (not wanting the omega feel as if they were trying to challenge them), he could see a strange glint in their gaze. There was a certain... gentleness about them. Eren didn't quite understand it.

Eventually, as his curious but wary invesstigation continued, he ended up in the alpha's lap, pawing at their clothes and sniffing at their hair. It took everything in Hanji not to laugh. They didn't want to startle the poor creature, but his actions were simply too adorable to handle.

Quietly, they tried to speak again, hoping it wouldn't frighten or anger the omega whose sharp claws were all too close to their throat. "See? That's very good," they whispered. "I'm not going to hurt you. You can trust me, Eren. I'm your friend. Do you want to know my name?"

Pulling away from the mess of hair, Eren sat back on his haunches and stared at Hanji, cocking his head to the side. It took him a few minutes to actually understand the question, but once it clicked in his mind, he gave the tiniest nod.

The biologist smiled warmly. "Hanji. Han-gee," they sounded it out slowly, making sure Eren would understand. "Don't worry if you can't pronounce it, though. You can call me whatever's easier for you." They weren't even sure if Eren even _could _sound out words to begin with. That would definitely be the first thing they taught him. After all, communication was very important.

The omega grunted, shifting out of Hanji's lap and pawing hesitantly at their leg as he let out a series of mewls the alpha could only asssume was his attempt at their name.

It was cute.

Shaking their head, Hanji cleared her throat softly. "Okay, little one. I need you to trust me now, you understand? I'm gonna help you get out of here, but I'll need you to stand on two feet."

To demonstrate, they slowly rose to their feet and dusted themself off, pointing to their legs. "See? Just like that. I can help you if you want me to." The offer was there, but they wouldn't force Eren to do anything. They needed him to trust them, and grabbing him without permission and forcing him to do something uncomfortable or possibly even painful was definitely not the way to do it. 

Eren watched them, then looked down at his own leg, huffing out a warm breath of air in frustration. He hadn't even tried yet, and he was already giving up.

"I know it might be scary, honey, but if you want to go you have to stand up," Hanji encouraged, hoping it was enough to get the pouting boy motivated. 

A long silence followed.

Then, slowly, the brunet raised his hands, silently allowing the doctor to help him up. They did so without question, keeping their movements slow and careful as not to startle him.

Once Eren was on two feet (most of his weight being supported by Hanji's arm around his waist), they gave him a gentle pat on the head. "Very good," they said cheerfully. "Now we have to hurry when we get outside. It's not decent to be in public without clothes on. Got it?" With a shaky nod in confirmation, they were off. Hanji helped Eren walk/dragged him toward the doors, hushing him when he began to grow antsy.

Through the door and down the corridor they went, light from outside shining in through the glass double doors at the end of the hall. Very rarely did Eren get to see daylight. In his excitement, he attempted to break away from Hanji, more than ready to finally escape and see the world outside his sad, empty little cage.

However, the alpha held him steady. "No, no," they chastised gently. "You have to stay with me for now. It isn't safe."

Eren whined anxiously and gave one last attempt at freeing himself before he gave up, allowing Hanji to guide him down the hall. 

After what felt like forever, they finally reached the exit. Hanji pushed the door with one hand and ushered Eren through with the other. Before they let him continue further, though, they glanced around the parking lot. Good. There were no other people in sight. It would be terrible for everyone if it were to get out that one of the doctors in their facility had been doing human experimenting.

"Okay, this is the part we have to hurry," they muttered, tightening their grip ever so slightly around Eren's waist and guiding him quickly to their car. They ushered him in the passenger seat and buckled the belt for him. "This is only a seatbelt," they explained, "to keep you safe." Regardless of their explanation, the omega chewed and pawed at the seatbelt, growling quietly at it.

Hanji hurried around to the other side and hopped in the car. "I'm gonna start the car. It makes a loud noise at first, but I promise you aren't in any danger. You'll never be in danger again." Maybe it was a lofty promise, but they would do everything in their power to keep it. The poor boy beside them had been through enough already. The least they could do was help him get back on his feet - both figuratively and literally. Nothing bad would ever happen to him again if they could help it.

When their reassurance was met with silence, the scientist sighed softly and started the car.

Eren tensed up immediately and shot his hands out to grip onto anything he could find, ears pinned back and eyes wide as he frantically looked around for any signs of danger. Apparently he hadn't even been listening.

"Shh, it's okay," Hanji reassured, pulling out of the parking stall and driving back out onto the road. Luckily traffic wasn't terribly busy.

Frightened and confused, the omega looked out the window and whined, attempting to free himself from the seatbelt.

Hanji offered him their hand. "You're safe," they cooed as Eren grabbed on and squeezed for dear life. "No one's ever going to harm you again. I'm taking you home with me, little one. I'll protect you." And that's exactly what they did, driving towards their apartment in silence.

What on earth was their roommate going to say?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Aventurine is a type of stone. Some variants of it match Eren's eyes pretty well.


	2. Alphas

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hanji manages to get Eren to their flat. Taking care of him will turn out to be more of a challenge than they thought.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for your patience! Things have been crazy for me but I'm hoping to pick back up very soon!
> 
> I look forward to reading your comments on chapter two! :)

The drive home was a long one. What with Eren panicking in the passenger seat and all, it was difficult to concentrate properly on the road ahead. They miraculously managed to make it home, though.

Once Hanji parked, they turned and stuck their hand out for Eren once more. "Hey, it's okay. We aren't moving anymore. Take a deep breath."

Panting, terrified, the young omega looked around with wild eyes until his gaze settled on the friendly hand. He warily shuffled closer and sniffed at it, swallowing dryly.

When he initiated contact, Hanji cooed. "There's a good boy... Everything is okay. Once we get inside, you can take that itchy coat off and relax, okay? I'll make you something to eat." They weren't exactly sure if Eren would trust them enough to eat, however, so they would make something light and simple. Hopefully he would stay calm once they were actually inside. The flat _was _thick with the scent of another alpha, after all.

They got out of the car and moved to the other side to open the door for Eren, beckoning him out. "Come on... That's it."

With his ears flat against his head, the neko slowly climbed out of the car, grabbing onto Hanji's arm to keep himself upright. He still didn't trust them, but it was better than falling.

The scientist led him up the steps and unlocked the door, guiding him inside the flat.

It was quaint and simple, with minimalist design. The coffee table in the front room was littered with papers and coffee mugs, a tell-tale sign of late nights. A flat screen TV sat collecting dust against the wall. They had lost the remote some time ago and never bothered to find or replace it. On the wall, a few crooked photographs of Hanji and some friends. The couch was covered in blankets and a coat rack stood cluttered with jackets in one corner.

Hanji closed the door and gently let go of Eren, placing their hands on their hips. "Well, home sweet home. I know it isn't big, but it's probably much better than what you're used to, huh?" They didn't receive a response, and they weren't expecting one either, but talking normally would hopefully feel Eren more welcome, less alienated.

The neko made his way further into the apartment and slipped out of the labcoat, dropping back to his hands and knees. He sniffed at the air hesitantly, letting out a soft growl at the unfamiliar scent lingering in the air. It wasn't Hanji's, and it was too faint to tell exactly what it was, but was definitely something foreign. Grunting, he scampered off down the hall, searching the flat to ensure that they were alone.

With a sigh, Hanji sat down on the couch and kicked their legs up on the coffee table. They really hoped Eren would be alright. As they gave him time to familiarize, they decided to give their dear friend a call. This was definitely one of those situations where backup was required.

After six rings, a gruff voice finally answered on the other end. _"What? This had better be important for you to be interrupting my work."_

"Levi! My best bud in the whole world, _mi amigo_, it's been so long since we last spoke-" Before they could continue rambling, Levi cut them off.

_"It's been a day."_

The scientist cleared their throat awkwardly, laughing as if what Levi said was the funniest thing they had ever heard. "Right, of course! Forgetful me! Anyway, how are you? How are things? You're doing well, I trust?"

A deep sigh was heard from the other line. _"Okay four-eyes, spit it out. What do you want?"_

Right to the point as always. Hanji swallowed and paused for a moment, trying to figure out exactly how to word it. "Well... I kind of need your help with something. You see, I found this omega-"

_"What do you mean 'found'?"_

"Let me finish! Yeesh... Anyway, you know how I started at that new lab today? Well, I found an omega there. Doctor Jaeger's son. He was... He was experimenting on him, Levi. I can't even imagine when the last time he saw sunlight was. He's thin and pretty banged up... He was kept in a _cage, _Levi. He doesn't even have any clothes. He's... terrified of everything that moves. He was growling and trying to attack me when I saw him. Do you get it? He should have been begging for help. He barely even understands English!" They were really laying it on thick so Levi would take pity on the poor creature and come to the rescue.

A long silence followed their description of the situation, until finally Levi groaned. _"Of course you manage to land yourself in the most impossible situations. Have you told Erwin?"_

Damn him. Hanji chuckled nervously and licked their lips. "Well, actually... I was hoping you could help me with that too."

_"Hanji. I'm going to kill you."_

"Oh, don't be so mean! Pretty please help me out here? I don't know how to handle this, and I can't just dump him off somewhere. You're a lot more in touch with your instincts than I am. Maybe you can get through to him. Please, Levi? He needs you."

Another heavy sigh. _"Fine. When do you want me to come over?"_

Hanji grinned. "Oh, you are a life saver! As s-" Before they could go on, they heard a crash from somewhere down the hall. "Hold that thought, Levi. Eren!"

With a hand over the phone, they got up and made their way to the end of the hall, stopping dead in their tracks when they found their roommate's bedroom door ajar. Oh, Erwin was definitely going to kill them now.

"Eren, sweetie? What are you doing?" They called to the neko, creeping down the hall and peeking through the door.

There Eren was, on Erwin's bed... A lamp lay broken on the floor. Pillows were strewn across the floor, the blankets were all in disarray, and worst of all the neko was trying to scent mark the bed.

Hanji had to act quickly, rushing over and pulling him off despite his protests. They knelt down to his level. "Eren, honey... We can't be in here, you understand?"

The smaller brunet growled in response, pinning his ears back.

_"Hanji? What's going on?"_

Hearing another voice seemingly out of nowhere threw Eren off. He blinked multiple times and sniffed at the air, searching for the source before his gaze settled on Hanji's phone. Before they could react, he snatched it from their hand and darted out of the room.

"Eren! No, we don't do that! Give it back!" Hanji scrambled to their feet and chased after the boy, kicking themself internally.

Levi could hear the yelling from the other end and decided to hang up. It was pretty obvious that Hanji needed him as soon as possible, so he got in his car and left work early.

Eren dropped the phone on the floor and pressed his ear to it, huffing. There was no noise coming from it now, so he immediately lost interest in it. Just when Hanji was about to reach him, he hopped away and scurried back down the hall, leaving the phone.

Sighing deeply, the alpha picked up their phone, checking if Levi was still on the line before shoving it in their pocket.

It was going to be a very long day.

They made their way back down the hall and shut Erwin's door, heading to their own where Eren was busy trying to tear everything off their bed. Oh well. At least he wasn't causing anymore damage to Erwin's room.

"Hey, sweetie..." They approached cautiously to show they weren't a threat, holding their hand out for Eren. "I have a friend coming over soon. He looks a llittle rough around the edges, but I promise he's nice. He won't hurt you. He's coming to help, okay?"

Dropping the blanket currently in his mouth, Eren turned to stare at Hanji, sniffing at them hesitantly. His entire expression blanked, and it was obvious he didn't understand a word that the alpha was saying.

Hanji ran a hand down their face. Of course. "You're okay.You can stay in here if you want, alright?" If Eren took a liking to their room, they would be sleeping on the couch. Oh well. Not like that didn't happen often already. They stood up and gently ran their fingers through Eren's hair. "Are you hungry? I'll get you something to eat, okay? You look like you're wasting away..."

As soon as they were out of sight, Eren jumped up on the bed and kicked the pillows off, sniffing at the blankets and sheets.

They all smelled like Hanji. No unfamiliar or hidden scents to be found.

It helped him relax somewhat, and he laid down, chewing on a corner of the blanket as he looked around the room. This certainly was a better situation than what he was used to. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad after all, but he still didn't trust that alpha. No one was that nice unless they had some ulterior motive. No one.


	3. Little Brat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eren does not like the newcomer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This quarantine really giving us all a bunch of extra free time, huh?

With a plate of snacks left in their room for Eren, Hanji stayed in the front room to wait for Levi's arrival. They desperately hoped he would be able to help. With his background, he was much more in touch with his instincts than the logic-driven scientist.

At last, the shorter alpha arrived, knocking twice on the door before inviting himself inside. "Hanji, if that little shit bites me and gives me some disease, _you_ are paying my medical bills."

"Ever the optimist, I see." Hanji laughed and stood up from their place on the couch. "And he's not a little shit. He's a sweetheart, I can tell. He's just... afraid."

Unimpressed, Levi crossed his arms. "Well? Where is he then?"

"Follow me." With the raven in tow, Hanji crept down the hall and pushed their bedroom door open. "Eren? Honey, my friend is here. Do you remember? He's here to help you." They glanced around the room, at first seeing nothing but a mess, but then the telltale shift of blankets let them know exactly where the omega was.

Levi pushed them into the room impatiently, walking himself inside. "Stinks in here..."

Hearing a new voice, Eren immediately poked his head out from under the blankets, grunting confusedly. He blinked once, sniffed at the air, and growled. One alpha was already too much for his liking, and the psycho invited _another?_

"Shh, Eren, it's okay. This is Levi, he may look mean but he's really nice deep down. Okay? I promise you're safe," Hanji explained, beckoning Levi towards the bed.

Annoyed, the alpha stepped forward, arms still crossed over his chest. "When's the last time he had a bath?"

"How should I know? I just met him today. Give him your hand. Let him get used to you." The scientist gestured vaguely.

Levi rolled his eyes and jutted his hand out, which turned out to be a mistake.

The movement was much too quick for Eren's liking, and he lashed out, biting the hand so rudely shoved in his face. He snarled angrily, holding on with sharp teeth.

The man cursed under his breath, holding perfectly still. If he tried to pull away, he ran the risk of hurting himself more or even tearing off flesh. He would rather keep the feeling in his hand.

When the omega started to tug and shake his head, Hanji panicked. "Eren, no, let go of him! We don't bite people!"

Fearing physical repocusson, the brunet released Levi's hand and dove under the bed before he could be hurt. For something like that, he was absolutely positive one or both of them would hit him. He couldn't handle that. There was no escape.

Holding his bleeding hand, Levi glared at Hanji and slunk into the bathroom to clean himself up.

Meanwhile, the other alpha knelt in front of the bed and leaned down, resting their cheek on the floor. "Eren, please come out of there. We aren't mad, honey. I'm sorry I raised my voice, but you can't bite."

Eren growled, ears pinned flat against his head.

"It's okay. Shh..." Ever so slowly, Hanji slid their hand under the bed for the boy to sniff. "No one is gonna hurt you anymore."

It took a few moments, but Hanji miraculously managed to get Eren out from under the bed. Levi was back in the room, standing back near the door. The last thing he wanted was to make the aggressive omega feel trapped.

Hanji patted Eren's head slowly. "See? Everything's fine. Now, Levi... Why don't you come say hi properly? No sudden moves this time."

Levi huffed. He took a step closer and slowly held out his uninjured hand. "I'm not going to hurt you," he assured unenthusiastically.

Hesitantly, the brunet crawled closer and leaned up, sniffing at the hand before him. It didn't take him long at all to decide he didn't like the scent, or the person it belonged to. He growled, pinning his ears back again.

The attitude was unacceptable. Levi instantly growled back, narrowing his eyes in a challenge as he locked gazes with the omega. If this boy really only acted on instinct, there was only one way to get him to behave. Baring his teeth, the raven snarled, emiitting a scent that demanded obedience and respect. 

A display like that left Eren with two choices. He could resist, respond to the challenge, and fight; or, he could back down. Still growling, he slowly lowered his head in submission and backed away.

Hanji swatted their friend's shoulder. "Levi! I want him to trust us, not fear us. Go show off how much of a man you are to someone else," they scolded, kneeling beside the omega once more and gently touching his head. "It's okay."

Levi rolled his eyes. "You wanted my help. I'm helping. Hanji, he isn't gonna get it any other way."

"Well, you'll have to _find_ another way." Hanji huffed. "I won't have you using intimidation on him. He's our equal and you're treating him the same as his father."

"Don't compare me to that abusive asshole. _I'm _not the one who made him like this. That was all Jaeger's doing."

Hanji sighed. "You're right. But I don't want Eren to feel like he went from one bad situation to another. Just... Please try to be more understanding of his condition. He's scared of you. There's no need at all for you to challenge him."

Reluctantly, the raven knelt down in front of his opposite, holding his hand out again. "I want to be your friend," he muttered, giving an attempted smile that looked more like a grimace than anything. "I won't hurt you. I'm sorry I scared you." He released a calming scent into the air, hoping it would work. It had been so long since he'd dealt with an omega.

The ability to calm one down was crucial, though. They were much more defensive and quick to aggression than alphas and betas were. Which was quite funny, considering their position in society.

Eren hissed, glaring at the man with murder in his eyes. He wouldn't attack, not yet at least. It was a warning to back off.

Hanji smiled encouragingly. "It's okay. You two can be friends."

"I really don't think he cares." Levi huffed and pulled away, standing up and dusting off his pants. "You want my opinion, this is definitely one of those things you can't force. He needs time. We can't demand respect- still don't see why not- and he obviously doesn't understand what we're saying enough to know we aren't a threat. So...." Sighing, he glanced at Eren and shook his head. "We'll just have to show him we're not the enemy. I think he's already warmed up to you a little bit, since you got him out of that shithole. Our first order of business is to-"

Unfortunately, he was interrupted by the sound of the front door opening and a deep, honey-smooth voice. "Hanji, I'm back! You're pretty early." There was a pause. "What is that smell?"


End file.
